


Ghost of You

by NurseMedusa



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood
Genre: Drabble, Episode: s01e11 Boom Town, Loneliness, Multi, Oneshot, Pre-Canary Wharf, Torchwood-era Jack meeting Nine, but not really, elements of character study
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-18 02:27:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28984845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NurseMedusa/pseuds/NurseMedusa
Summary: “What the hell are you and why do you look like Jack Harkness?”or,Jack has a chance encounter in Cardiff.
Relationships: (Past) Ninth Doctor/Jack Harkness/Rose Tyler, Jack Harkness & Rose Tyler, Ninth Doctor & Jack Harkness
Comments: 2
Kudos: 41





	Ghost of You

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this on a whim before class because Torchwood has ruined my life. All I can say is there's more where this came from. Title from the My Chemical Romance song of the same name.

The laughter echoing around the bay would’ve been hard to miss, even if he hadn’t been looking for them. It was a bad idea, really. Every protocol in the Time Agency’s book was against it.

Good thing he wasn't a Time Agent. Not anymore, anyway.

Jack pulled the collar of his coat up a bit higher, trying to conceal himself as much as he could. The ledge he was standing on was at least ten feet up from where his younger self walked alongside Rose and it was nearly pitch black outside, but one could never be too careful where paradoxes were concerned.

Rose. He wanted to talk to her. Not to warn her or tell her to not try and bring him back, but just talk to her. About anything, really. Had it really been over a century since he had last seen her like this? He had kept an eye on her over the years, of course. Still, it wasn't the same. That wasn't his Rose. This was.

“What the hell are you and why do you look like Jack Harkness?”

Jack froze. This was what he was afraid of.

“Hello? Are you deaf?” He heard the Doctor snapping to get his attention.

Casting one final quick glance down, to make sure the others were out of earshot, he turned and looked at the Doctor. He knew this wasn't their reunion, the one he’s been waiting for so long to get to. This Doctor doesn’t know what’s yet to come. He won’t know how to fix Jack.

“Look, I know I’m a bit different since the last time we met-”

“Ah, we’ve met before, then?” The Doctor droned on sarcastically, “so what are you supposed to be? Zygon? Last I checked, you guys didn’t have all that time energy floating around, but I know stuff happens.”

“Doctor,” Jack’s voice stayed quiet as he spoke. He knew not to get his hopes up. This was just a chance meeting, nothing more. “It’s me.”

The Doctor opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, clearly looking for something to say but not finding the right words. Eventually, he resorted to pulling his sonic screwdriver from a pocket in his coat and scanned Jack up and down in confused silence. He let out a slow breath.

“It’s you.”

Jack nodded, leaning with his arms on the railing and turning back to face the pier again. “It’s me. Whatever that’s supposed to mean these days.”

“But you- this says you’re a fixed point.”

He shrugged, still not looking at the Doctor. “So, what are you gonna do about it? Assemble a cabinet at me?” He joked, thinking back to the first time they met. That night would’ve been recent for this Doctor, he thinks.

“You’re from the future,” the Doctor said, his voice rising out of its confusion.

“Well, kind of. I’m from  _ your _ future. I’m definitely from  _ his _ future.” Jack gestured down to where Rose was still talking to his younger self. It hurt Jack that he couldn’t remember what the conversation was about.

The Doctor hadn’t gotten close to him yet, as if standing next to him would trigger a paradox. That is, if one hadn’t already been created. Silence lingered between them for so long that Jack almost thought the Doctor had walked off, pretending the encounter had never happened.

“What happened to you, Jack?”

When Jack glanced over his shoulder, he saw the Doctor was slowly getting closer and closing the gap. Jack offered him a grin with no true happiness behind it.

“It’s no fun if I spoil all the surprises, now isn’t it?”

The Doctor offered no fake smile in return. He wasn't the type of man to hide behind smiles and jokes.

“I wish I could tell you,” Jack continued, “maybe for my sake, for yours. There’s so much I wish I could say, but this has to happen. You can’t tell them you saw me here.”

“Did I do this to you?”

Jack’s gaze drifts down again. He sees that Mickey caught up with the two down on the pier and something genuine makes its way into his mostly empty grin. “No.”

The answer clearly hasn’t satisfied the Doctor’s curiosity. “Did Rose-”

Jack puts a hand out, meeting the Doctor’s gaze once again. “I can’t tell you. Some things are just...supposed to happen. You know that.”

Reluctantly, the Doctor slowly nods in understanding.

“Just, promise me that you’ll take care of her.”

Confusion creeps onto the Doctor’s face again. “You’re from the future. Shouldn’t you know what happens?”

“I don’t know everything. And, besides,” he gave another glance to the trio on the pier, “it feels like the right thing to say.”

Silence surrounds them both again, with Jack being the one to break it this time.

“You should go before they get worried.” He looks back at the Doctor, trying to discern what the older man was thinking. Whether the look on his face was one of pity or guilt. Probably both, Jack realizes.

“Before you go, could I-?” Jack held out his arms, beckoning embrace. “Just for old time’s sake.”

The Doctor closed the gap without another word, Jack clinging tightly. He still didn’t know when  _ his _ Doctor would be returning to Cardiff. Or if his arms would be open. So, he embraced the warm contact he had for now. Even if it was destined to be short-lived.

Jack’s grip loosened as he met the Doctor’s eyes. He wanted to keep holding him, to kiss him and let things go back to the way they used to be. Just Jack, the Doctor, and Rose, all traveling together without a care in the universe.

When the Doctor finally turned and walked away, the already cool Cardiff air felt even colder. Jack remembered why they were here and knew it wouldn’t be long until they woke up on the Game Station. How much longer did his younger self have? He looked down to see the Doctor rejoin the group and, even though he couldn’t hear him, he could tell the older man was trying to usher them away. Can’t go around letting timelines collapse because of something as careless as two Jacks interacting.

There was something innocent about the way the group looked. He knew it was the last time they would all be together on earth. A small part of him wanted to leap over the railing, race down there and stop them from leaving. Maybe he could stop Rose before it was too late, or say just the right thing to keep her from bringing him back. But he knew better than to try. It’s not often that he’s felt so helpless, just watching them walk by ignorantly.

And it’s not until he sees the casualty list for Canary Wharf that he feels that helpless again.

**Author's Note:**

> Like I said, wrote this on a whim and didn't really proofread or edit it. Just wanted to give my take on what Torchwood-era Jack was doing during Boom Town. Don't ask what the rest of the team was doing cuz I've got no clue.


End file.
